The present invention relates generally to a remote biofeedback medical diagnostic system. More particularly, the system of the invention utilizes a noninvasive biofeedback signal obtained by the system from the operator exposed to the images of the patient and the target area to determine pathological conditions of the patient. The term “operator” is used interchangeably with the term “user” throughout this description to describe a human person using the biofeedback system. The biofeedback signal is generated subconsciously by the operator and is based on device enhanced intuition.
A variety of medical diagnostic systems based on biofeedback are known in the art to determine the patho-physiological status of the patient in general and to diagnose a variety of ailments or the condition of specific organs.
One example of a comprehensive biofeedback device is described by Schweizer in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,626 and includes application of a variety of audible, visual, electrical or tactile stimuli in a specially designed biofeedback chamber. Moreover, a microprocessor controlled rhythmical pattern of these stimuli is proposed and is adjusted based on the patient's own reactions.
An even more sophisticated system involves detecting the patient's electrical brainwaves via electroencephalogram or EEG as measured from a number of electrodes attached to the patient's scalp. Several examples of EEG based biofeedback devices are worth mentioning here among a large number of such systems described in the prior art.
A multiple channel biofeedback computer is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,883 by Fehmi et al. which contains a number of monopolar electrical contacts applied to the scalp and the body of the patient and a computer for collecting, filtering and amplifying the electrical signals therefrom. The overall feedback signal is then presented back to the patient to create awareness of the function being monitored of for other purposes.
All of the above diagnostic systems involve collecting and analyzing a biofeedback signal obtained from a patient. This diagnostic method is not available if the patient is located far from the diagnostic laboratory. The need exists for a non-invasive diagnostic system allowing remote diagnosis of the patient's condition.
Patient's image may be transmitted using a variety of known means from the location of the patient to the location of the diagnostic system. Generally, image-based diagnostic systems are also known. Gupta, for example, describes a system for image-based diagnosis in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,501,849. This system is used for computer-based identification of technical problems in the field and has not been used for any medical application. A central computer stores a number of normal images of various machines and compares them to the images fed from a remote location.
Telepathology system is depicted in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,374 by Clinch to include a high resolution scanning of a pathology specimen transmitted to a remote location for diagnosis by a specialist. A somewhat similar system for scanning selected internal organs is described by Wilk in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,167.
A system for remotely transmitting a view of a patient to a clinician is described in the European Patent application No. EP 1062907 by Symes. The image may be a still or video image. Clinician can in turn detect such abnormalities as a cervical cancer.
Finally, a system for acquiring and transmitting to a remote location of a facial thermograph of a person is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,068. The thermograph is used for identification purposes, diagnosis and treatment evaluation.
These remote diagnosis systems of the prior art are based on a simple transmission of the visual information from the patient to a specialist who is then looking at the visual data to determine the diagnosis of a particular organ of a patient.
The need exists for a remote diagnosis system allowing a comprehensive diagnosis of the entire human body as well as individual diagnosis of a particular organ or a number of organs of the patient.